Sun Min Kim

Background: Dementia imposes a growing public health burden in Korea, with substantial implications for families living with affected members. Although prior Korean studies have suggested an association between dementia‐related household context and depressive symptoms, population‐based evidence on co‐residence with a family member with dementia remains limited. This study examined the association between co‐residence with a family member with dementia and depressive symptoms among Korean adults aged 50 years and older. Methods: We conducted a cross‐sectional analysis using data from the 2024 Korea Community Health Survey. Among 231,728 respondents, 120,029 adults aged ≥ 50 years living in non‐single‐person households were included. The exposure was co‐residence with a family member reported to have dementia, rather than a direct measure of caregiving status, intensity, or duration. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 (PHQ‐9), with a score ≥ 10 indicating clinically significant depressive symptoms. Survey‐weighted multiple logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals. Results: Overall, 15.8% of individuals reported depressive symptoms. Living with a family member with dementia was highly associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 1.35; 95% CI: 1.29–1.42; p < 0.0001). Among men, significant lower associations showed with good health status (OR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.13–0.16). Among women, similar patterns were observed, with high income (OR = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.63–0.80) and good health (OR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.13–0.16) being strongly protective against depression. Conclusions: Co‐residence with a family member with dementia was associated with higher odds of depressive symptoms among Korean adults aged 50 years and older. These findings suggest the need to consider mental health screening and support strategies for families living with dementia, while acknowledging the cross‐sectional and self‐reported nature of the data.

Background: Strengthening health leadership and management capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is critical for building resilient health systems. The Dr. Lee Jong-wook Fellowship Program (LJWFP), implemented by the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare, was designed to equip public health administrators with competencies in policy implementation and system strengthening. However, long-term behavioural impacts of such programs are rarely evaluated beyond satisfaction and knowledge gains. This study assessed the long-term impact of the 2022 LJWFP cohort on competency achievement, satisfaction and workplace application using the Kirkpatrick evaluation framework. Methods: This mixed methods study analysed data from 13 fellows who participated in the 2022 LJWFP. Quantitative data were collected through pre- and post-training assessments, participant surveys and supervisor and peer evaluations. Qualitative evidence was obtained through follow-up assessments and structured field visits. Descriptive statistics summarized key outcomes and Pearson’s correlation analysis examined associations among competency achievement, training satisfaction and workplace application over a 2-y follow-up period. Results: The program demonstrated high training satisfaction, with substantial gains in knowledge and competency. The correlation between competency achievement and satisfaction was moderate and statistically significant (r=0.488, p<0.05), whereas the relationship between competency and field application was moderate but not statistically significant (r=0.445, p<0.05). A strong, statistically significant correlation was observed between satisfaction and field application (r=0.776, p<0.001), suggesting that participants who were more satisfied with the training were more likely to apply their learning in practice. Conclusions: The program effectively enhanced leadership skills and supported post-training applications. Future iterations should integrate mentorship and follow-up mechanisms, expand digital learning tools and measure system-level impact longitudinally. These findings highlight the value of context-tailored fellowships in advancing public health leadership and governance in LMICs.